How to Plan a 2100 Calorie Diet

One of the healthy ways to maintain or lose weight is to control your daily calorie intake at a specific number of calories. The amount of calories consumed per day is dependent on a person's gender, weight, body build and exercise program. The Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes recommends a 2,100 calorie a day diet for females aged 31 to 50 that are physically active or males over 50 who are inactive to maintain current weight and sufficient energy levels. Keeping to a specific calorie intake per day does require research, careful menu planning, a food shopping regime and personal discipline.

Instructions

1

Research the number of calories contained in the healthier foods you enjoy eating. You can find this information on manufactured food labels or there are a number of online resources to do this research. Focus on low-fat, sugar-free and fresh foods in your diet plan, including fruits and vegetables.

2

Go online to find low-fat, healthy recipes to provide ideas of meals that you could easily prepare.

3

Write out a weekly menu, including three meals a day plus two snacks and drinks. Eating smaller meals more frequently can help you avoid feeling hungry as well as aid digestion.

4

Check your menu to make sure you formulate a meal plan with a balanced diet. The USDA Food Guide and DASH Eating Plan recommends consuming the appropriate amount of the key food groups daily, including fruit, vegetables, dairy, proteins and grains.

5

Include 2 to 2 cups from the fruit group daily in your 2,100 calorie diet, which can include unsweetened canned fruit, dried fruit or fresh fruit, and 2 to 2 cups of vegetables which should include dark green vegetables, starchy vegetables and legumes.

6

Include 6oz to 8oz from the grains group, including bread, cereal, rice or pasta. Consume 6 or less ounces per day of meat, chicken or fish. Substitute beans, tofu, nuts or seeds for vegetarians. Plan to use only 2tsp to 3tsp of oils for preparation or consumption and it is preferable to substitute high fat oils, such as butter, for margarine or olive oil.

7

Make a shopping list for the foods included in your weekly menu. Check local newspapers and fliers for sales and applicable coupons to lower your shopping costs.

8

Keep track of how closely you follow the 2,100 calorie per day diet by maintaining a calorie count diary, which you can do online. If you cannot find the exact recipe or food in your menu then find the closest food or meal and use the calorie count for that. Another alternative is to write the information down in a personal diet diary.